Chapter 93 Chapter 93

Chapter 93 Chapter 93

E L A R A

Hunter moved before I could even take a full breath.

He rushed to Sera’s side, dropping to one knee beside her, concern flashing briefly across his face before it hardened into something more controlled. “Easy,” he said, extending his hand. “Take it slow.”

Sera hesitated only a second before grabbing his hand. He pulled her up smoothly, steadying her as she found her footing.

But the anger on her face was unmistakable.

Her jaw was clenched, her eyes blazing as she turned to look at me. The look she gave me wasn’t just irritation.

It was fury.

Hunter straightened, placing himself slightly between us, his voice carrying across the suddenly silent training ground. “That’s enough,” he barked. “Everyone take a break. Now.”

The command snapped the spell.

Around us, the other trainees began to move, murmurs breaking out as people turned away, some casting curious glances back at us, others clearly pretending not to stare.

Sera didn’t say a word to me.

She simply shot me one last, sharp glare, the kind that promised this wasn’t over, before she turned on her heel and walked away, shoulders stiff, back straight, pride wounded and anger barely contained.

I watched her go, my chest tight, guilt and lingering adrenaline twisting together.

Hunter turned back to me.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice softer now, concern threading through it.

I nodded quickly. “I’m fine,” I said, though my hands were still trembling slightly around the hilt of my sword.

He studied me for a moment, then gave a short, almost impressed breath through his nose. “You did well,” he said. “It’s been ages since I’ve seen anyone put Sera on the ground.”

My brows furrowed slightly. Really? The thought surprised me more than I expected. I hadn’t planned it. I’d only reacted. I’d done what felt instinctive.

Hunter continued, his tone shifting, more serious now. “But don’t take that as a win,” he said. “You were intent on harming her. You stopped paying attention to your surroundings, to your control. That’s dangerous.”

His eyes held mine, firm but not unkind. “Next training, we’ll focus on that.”

I nodded again. He was right. I knew he was.

“You should go to your chambers,” he added. “Have the maids bring you something to eat. You’ve burned a lot of energy.”

I glanced around, noticing everyone else drifting in the same direction, toward the hall. “But they all seem to be going the same way for the break.”

Hunter gave a small, almost amused huff. “Ah. Yes. We all have breaks together in the hall. It’s a rule here.”

“Then I’ll join you,” I said without thinking.

Hunter actually chuckled at that, shaking his head slightly. “I don’t think that’s advisable for you,” he said. “As the Luna. Even the Alpha doesn’t join us.”

I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze, my voice steady. “I want to.”

The words felt important.

Not just to him.

To me.

Because hiding in my chambers would be easier.

But easier wasn’t what I needed.

Hunter raised a brow, studying me more carefully now. “Are you sure?” he asked. “The food might not be to your liking.”

For a moment, something sharp twisted in my chest.

“My liking?” I repeated quietly.

He didn’t mean it cruelly. I knew that. But the words still landed wrong.

“You seem to have forgotten who I am so soon,” I said, my tone calm but edged with something firmer beneath.

Inside, my thoughts were louder.

I had been poor almost all my life. Hand-me-down clothes. Meals stretched thin. Hunger that sat quietly in the background like an unwanted companion. Marrying Kane and becoming Luna didn’t erase that history. It didn’t rewrite the years of making do, of surviving on less.

A title didn’t change where I came from.

Hunter blinked, clearly realizing he’d misstepped. “Right,” he said slowly. “But that is your past now. You were made new during the purifying ceremony.”

The words made something in me tighten.

Made new.

As if everything I had been before could be washed away in ritual and light.

I met his gaze steadily. “I insist,” I said. Not harsh. Not angry. Just certain.

For a second, he looked like he might argue.

Then he sighed, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Very well,” he said. “Shall we?”

I nodded.

We fell into step together, walking away from the training ground and down the wide stone corridor that led toward the great hall.

As we walked, I became acutely aware of the stares we drew.

Not open. Not obvious.

But they were there.

Whispers that hushed when we passed. Curious glances. The subtle straightening of backs.

The Luna walking among them.

Not above them.

Among them.

My heart beat a little faster with each step.

Part of me wondered what Kane would think if he were here. If he’d approve. If he’d worry. If he’d be angry.

But another part of me, quieter but stronger, whispered something else.

If I was going to belong here truly, if I was going to lead one day, I couldn’t stay locked behind doors and titles.

I had to be seen.

I had to be known.

And maybe… they had to see me as more than just the Alpha’s mate.

The great hall was already full when we entered.

Long wooden tables stretched across the room, set in neat rows facing one another.

The arrangement wasn’t random. It was clear even at a glance that people were seated by rank.

Warriors together.

Guards.

Lower-ranked pack members.

Healers and servants at another.

The subtle hierarchy of the pack laid out in benches and table lengths.

My chest tightened as I took it in.

Power had a shape here.

And it was carved into where you were allowed to sit.

Hunter led me forward without hesitation, guiding me toward one of the central tables. Not the highest, not the lowest. A place that spoke of authority without being the throne.

We sat.

An empty wooden plate sat in front of me, clean and plain. An empty cup beside it. Nothing else.